Soviet 1947 10 Kopeks

The 1947 Soviet 10 kopeks coin was struck from zinc, a desperate switch after the war left copper reserves in tatters.

That zinc came from whatever scrap the mint could scrounge, reflecting the currency reform's aim to stabilize a battered economy. The coin's design stayed simple—a hammer and sickle on one side, the denomination on the other—with no frills to speak of. Production happened at the Leningrad Mint, though exact figures are murky; records from that era often vanished into bureaucracy.

Zinc coins like this one tended to wear quickly, turning matte gray with handling. If you're lucky enough to find one uncirculated, it might still bear the original edge lettering, a minor victory against time. As for myths about hidden gold in these? I've heard them all, and they're as thin as the coin itself. Not that zinc ever pretended to be anything else.